The spiked club flying toward Morgan was caught midair by Dinomorphia Kentregina, who crushed it instantly—shattering Rowe's final hope along with it. After all, this really was her last resort.
Rowe's face went pale. Even though the goddess of fate had smiled on her at the final moment, it still hadn't brought her victory. Morgan's strength had far exceeded her expectations; from the start of the duel, she'd been completely under Morgan's control.
Her lips trembled. She wanted to say "End my turn," but no sound came out.
Because ending her turn meant her defeat.
For Rowe, who had fought her way into Team Predator, losing wasn't scary—no one wins forever. She'd long accepted the possibility of defeat. That said, she wasn't prepared for the consequences of this loss.
By their wager, she would have to stand on stage and publicly admit that Morgan was cuter than she was.
That was worse than death… for her, cuteness was her very reason to exist.
And as for the club, even bringing out [Ruddy Rose Dragon] hadn't saved her. She was sure her captain would scold her, maybe even take her Deck away and expel her from Team Predator.
Thinking of this, Rowe felt deeply wronged. She didn't believe she'd done anything wrong.
With [Evil Thorn]'s effect negated, she couldn't Special Summon the other two from her Deck. Even if she could, they'd be forced into Attack Position and couldn't defend her.
The stands fell silent. Everyone could see it—Rowe's last move had failed, and the duel was about to end.
The commentator sighed. Even with fate on her side, the scales still tipped toward Morgan.
Isla let out a long breath. She'd been right from the start: Morgan's Trap Cards had other effects, and that was why she'd been willing to slash her own LP.
Regardless, now it was too late for words. The stage belonged to the victor, and explanations meant nothing before victory.
"My… my turn… ends."
After a pause, Rowe forced the words out through a choked voice. She didn't drag it out—that was her professionalism as a duelist.
Morgan's face was expressionless. She didn't need to do anything fancy.
"My turn, draw!"
"Battle! Dinomorphia Kentregina—direct attack!"
Under Kentregina's blade, Rowe's remaining LP dropped to zero. She collapsed to the ground, tears finally welling in her eyes.
Yet, no one noticed. All eyes were on Morgan.
Confetti cannons went off around the Duel Stage, raining paper as cheers erupted. Morgan had won again.
The semifinals were a huge milestone. Even after countless comebacks, Morgan had prevailed, silencing the last of her doubters.
But because of her bet with Rowe, Morgan didn't leave the stage.
The commentator finally got to deliver his closing words, his voice shaking with emotion—he'd never covered a Morgan duel like this before.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the semifinals have concluded!"
"The Junior Division of the Duelist League is heading into its final chapter, and advancing to the finals is none other than our Witch, Morgan!"
"This is the first time since the inaugural tournament that an independent duelist has reached the finals—and Morgan has made that miracle happen!"
"Let's look forward to seeing what kind of duel she'll bring us in the championship!"
As his voice faded, Morgan walked toward Rowe.
Everyone knew: even if the match was over, their pre-duel wager was not.
Rowe trembled as Morgan stopped before her and looked down at her with a blank face.
"It's time to honor your bet," Morgan said with a smile.
Rowe nodded and stood. She had to admit, in front of everyone, that Morgan was cuter than her. It was her most powerful weapon… and saying it would strip her of her last shred of pride.
Despite that, a wager in the Duelist League was binding. Refusal meant losing her professional duelist license.
"I…"
"I admit…"
She hesitated for a long time before biting out the words. Even so, they were painfully hard to say, and her eyes shimmered with tears.
Just as she gathered her courage, a warm hand patted her shoulder.
Rowe looked up in surprise to see Morgan watching her gently—but with a hint of urgency in her eyes.
"Alright, that's enough. You don't need to say the rest… I get it."
"But remember, there's nothing wrong with pursuing cuteness. Just don't use it as the only measure for everything, and don't put others down as 'uncute.' If you understand that, you don't need to say another word."
"That was a fun duel. I'm heading out!"
Without waiting for a reply, Morgan hopped off the stage and left, not even stopping to greet Jade or Isla.
If she waited any longer, the swarm of agents would catch her.
Sure enough, the moment she entered the safety tunnel, agents rushed in—some carrying walkie-talkies.
"Target is in the west tunnel, heading for the underground garage—move out!"
They'd lost Morgan too many times before. This time, they were determined to catch her.
Rowe stared blankly at Morgan's back. After a long moment, she touched her shoulder where Morgan had patted her, then slowly walked off toward the players' passage.
She didn't feel relieved. Did that mean she'd been wrong all along? That cuteness wasn't the only standard to judge by?
As she pondered, her head bumped into something soft and massive.
It blocked her vision entirely, but she knew exactly who it was.
"Sister Nerissa, I still lost… even though you gave me [Ruddy Rose Dragon]…"
Nerissa smiled and patted her head. "It's fine. Losing is normal in dueling. What matters is what you learn from it."
She was the leader of Team Predator—tall, tan-skinned, with striking red hair and a model's figure.
She'd come to watch the Junior Division match after her team lost to Saint King Club in the main league.
"Mm… Morgan is such a strange opponent…"
"Huh? Sister Nerissa, why are you nosebleeding?"
A thin stream of blood trickled from Nerissa's hand. She didn't seem to notice; her face was flushed as she muttered:
"Heh… Morgan… the real Morgan…"
"…"
'…Can you not lose it here?'
…
Leaving via the safety tunnel, Morgan didn't head to the underground garage. She went the other way—straight to the rooftop.
Viviana's private helicopter was waiting.
Once it lifted off, Morgan exhaled. This was supposed to be just a tournament, but it felt more like Resident Evil.
Viviana smiled. "Do you always end up this battered after a match?"
Morgan didn't want to, but there was only one match left—the finals. Soon, she wouldn't have to run like this.
"Just one more. I can put up with it until then."
Viviana chuckled and pulled two tickets from her bag.
"The main Duelist League finals are starting soon. Want to watch with me?"
"There's another dark horse there, like you."
She handed Morgan a flyer. It showed a team not affiliated with any club, all dressed in black, faces hidden, riding wildly different D-Wheels.
All black? They looked like Shadow Duelists.
Morgan studied the poster. She had nothing else planned—why not go?
Since her rebirth, she'd never seen the highest level of competition in this world.
"Alright, I'm in."
…
At that moment, Hannah was sitting at a bar in a skintight suit, drinking peacefully, her back arched in an elegant curve.
Cards were spread out before her as she made final adjustments to her Deck for the upcoming match against Saint King Club.
Zelo emerged from the shadows, his massive frame and grim expression imposing.
"I've found traces of a Shadow Game. Old Snake's been taken out."
Hannah laughed. She felt no pity.
"Serves him right. I told you—acting that blatantly would make him prey."
"Who beat him? He was dumb, but a decent duelist."
Zelo sighed, sat beside her, and poured himself vodka.
"He challenged Spirit Duelist Viviana. She probably beat him."
"Viviana, huh? That tracks…"
"What about the match against Saint King Club? Is the boss coming?"
Zelo snorted. "Forget it. He knows already… he's sending his proxy."
"Proxy?" Hannah was surprised. She'd never heard of one.
"Yeah. A lunatic. Bald, tattooed head, mocking grin."
"He's running the boss's plan. All Shadow Duelists are mobilized to set up the transfer array. Even the oldest Gravedigger's been dragged out. The boss is making a big move."
"Even the Gravedigger…" Hannah was stunned. He was one of the oldest, most mysterious Shadow Duelists among the boss's first followers.
"Looks like the boss means business," she said.
"Of course. Tomorrow, if we beat the other team and take the championship, the array will activate—turning every defeated duelist into a Shadow Duelist. Then the whole Duelist Alliance will be ours!"
"And once we control the Alliance, I'll abolish the 996 system. Eight-hour workdays, two days off a week. Break the rules and I'll dock your pay!"
Zelo downed his drink and crushed the glass in his hand.
Hannah: "…"
With the boss's proxy around, today's match was as good as won.
Anyhow, she wondered… between the Red Dragon Club and the Haisen Club, who would reach the finals?
If she could choose, she'd face Haisen. She pictured Milo in her mind.
…
The engines roared as Haisen faced Red Dragon in the semifinals. From the start, it was intense.
Milo was up first, facing Red Dragon's ace.
Riding Duel team matches worked like tag battles: beat your opponent while keeping your LP, and you stayed in for the next round.
Sometimes, that led to three-win streaks.
Now, Milo's D-Wheel sped along the track, his opponent already summoning enough Tuners to call out a high-level monster.
Red Dragon's ace pointed skyward and shouted:
"Beat of the King, assemble your formation! Witness the power of heaven and earth! Synchro Summon—"
Milo sighed. Did summoning require that much drama?
Still, he didn't underestimate his opponent, flipping a face-down to block the attack.
He had to win—make it to the finals and face the Shadow Duelists.
…
The next day, Morgan awoke groggily in a large bed, Mena sleeping beside her.
Viviana had flown her home after the match. With the whole world searching for her, Morgan stayed at Viviana's house, telling Belle her situation.
Mena was thrilled, clinging to Morgan for more stories. By morning, Morgan had gotten to the Jaden Yuki vs. Nightshroud arc.
She probably should've started with Yugi Muto. At this rate, they'd reach Yu-Gi-Oh! GX's sequel soon.
Morgan slipped out without waking Mena. In the living room, Viviana had breakfast ready.
"Eat up—then we'll head to the finals. It's going to be packed!"
"Why?" Morgan asked, biting bread and sipping milk, some spilling down her chin.
"Haisen Club beat Red Dragon. And the clubless dark horse crushed Saint King Club."
"It's a clash of the reigning two-time runners-up against the rising stars! The stands will be overflowing!"
Morgan wasn't fully focused. Haisen Club… could Milo finally break their runner-up curse?
After eating, Viviana dropped Mena off and drove Morgan to the arena.
The pro Riding Duel venue was far larger than the Junior Division's, holding many more fans.
They entered to find the place packed.
As the opening stunt show played out, Morgan suddenly felt a sting in her arm. Pulling back her sleeve, she saw her Dragon Mark glowing brighter than ever.
She realized instantly.
With her upgraded Dragon Signer powers, her detection range had expanded—and the feeling was stronger.
There were Shadow Duelists nearby.
A lot of them.
...
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